Tag: food

Finally, home.

I finally started cooking at home again. It’s such a satisfying feeling.

On Sunday, I went shopping at the local market with the girl, Lucy, who helps clean my house, wash my clothes, and used to bring me food everyday (I sound like I’m 10 years old now). I bought all kinds of veggies, green bananas (matooke), beans, and corn flour (posho/ugali).

I also bought two aluminium pots, although I already have 5 different pots and 3 pans at home because Lucy insisted. Lucy didn’t seem to understand that those ceramic pots wouldn’t break if we heat them up. I don’t think she knows that non-stick pans shouldn’t be scratched either. The non-stick pan at the other house has obviously been scrubbed clean. I don’t want to think that I ate many meals made from that pan…

We came home and she taught me how to peel and cook matooke (green bananas that are like plantains. I don’t know if they’re plantains or not, but I love them). Then she left because the rain was coming. I happily threw together a pot of stew with tomatoes, eggplants, and onions. Seasoned only with salt, as I had nothing else. It was delicious in a way that only a self home cooked meal could be like.

I cooked again this evening also. I got caught in the rain coming back so I couldn’t go buy new ingredients. Beans, tomato, and eggplant stew it is. And a side dish of pan grilled eggplant with just the right amount of salt.

I haven’t felt more at home since I’ve arrived.

Categories
agriculture

Ode to the cassava plant

I just had my favourite vegetable for lunch – kisamvu (cassava leaves).

Plus maharage (beans) and ndizi moshi (bananas cooked Moshi style – Moshi is a region in northern Tanzania). Mmmm….I wish they had kisamvu more often.

I also love how when they do serve it, they’re always worried that I won’t like it. Little do they know that it’s my favourite. It has such an indescribable taste…I swear they put some kind of special spice.

I’m starting to think the cassava plant is pretty awesome:

1) it’s usually an insurance crop, meaning that people plant it in case of drought or failed harvest because it can stay in the ground for many years and harvested at any time.

2) “Cassava is the third-largest source of carbohydrates for meals in the world.” – Wikipedia

3) the root-part is so tasty grilled with a little pili pili (hot pepper sauce)

4) the leaves are so good cooked!

5) I think it looks pretty too.

Did you know that the tapioca balls in your bubble tea is actually made from cassava flour? So don’t say you haven’t tried cassava before (well that is if you like bubble tea as much as I do :)

** as an aside, apparently cassava isn’t common in Zimbabwe. They rarely eat the roots and never the leaves**

Food experiment: Risgrøt

Risgrøt (risengrynsgrøt (with raisins) or riskrem (with cream/whipped cream)) is Norwegian rice pudding. Probably my favourite from the Norwegian foods I’ve tried (a close second would be brown cheese).

Ris=rice and grøt I guess is the pudding (:P). Grøt is pronounced similar to “grert”.

It’s a traditional Christmas dish with lots of variations. You can make it with sour cream or mix in whipped cream to make a cold dessert etc. I only learnt to make it the most basic way, with milk, rice and salt. The best part is sprinkling sugar, cinnamon (Kanel if you’re trying to find it in a Norwegian supermarket..), and “an eye of butter” in the middle. You can also add raisins.

Recipes here: http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Risgrot-Hot-Rice-Pudding-155893 this one uses only milk and rice, which makes it super rich and decadent.

and this one http://www.cybershingle.com/recipes/pp/rice/risgrot.htm uses water to start the rice off. I tried it recently and it was nice also. So if you don’t to use so much milk, use this recipe!

Categories
Uncategorized

Food experiment: Chapati

Here’s my first attempt: chapati!

I loved these so much in Tanzania that I requested to have them for breakfast everyday.

The recipe I followed didn’t turn out exactly as I had them in East Africa, but it’s close enough that I’m really, really happy. I made around 8 of them (they’re really filling) and put them in the fridge so I can just take them out and put them in the pan for an easy meal. I even took a leftover one, added some corn and cheese and made a sort of pizza :P

Forming the dough took a bit more effor than I expected, but it wasn’t hard at all :)

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Uncategorized

Proposed Experiment

Proposed experiment:
Not buy food that I can make

I guess as an attempt get my life back into a little bit of a routine (or as some say, re-entry shock), I am formally proposing this experiment. Why?

Well, 1) I study food systems, and to say the truth, supermarkets and their “illusion of a million products which are actually all made from the same things” mentality disgust me right now (especially after living for a while where all the food was pretty much harvested within walkable distance). So this is my way of exploring an alternative and saying “screw you” to over-processed/over-packaged food.

2) I really love playing around in the kitchen (mm…don’t take that the wrong way). I love trying out new recipes (but only for myself, since 90% of the time, I’m the only one who thinks the food tastes great. I have an amazing ability to like everything I make :P). I don’t think it would be so hard to make most of what I enjoy buying from the supermarket.

3) I did a similar thing last year where I didn’t eat any kinds of pre-made candy/junk food. I had to make all my chocolate cakes, chocolate truffles (oh dear goodness…), and whatever candy I was craving at the moment (which was usually just chocolate :P). I even stopped eating ice cream for a long time!

4) I want to see how much I can push the limits of making my own food. Some ideas right now include making my own cheese (well just the simple ones, nothing like what I did for a few days in the Swiss Alps), my own chapatis (I’ve been wanting to try ever since I got back), my own bread, ugali (? not sure if I can get the suitable maize flour?), Chinese salted duck eggs etc etc.

So here’s the deal.

1) I will try to use the most basic ingredients. i.e. I will use flour, and not grind my own from wheat. I, after all, can’t devote my life to this.

2) I promise (promise promise promise) I will update once a week about a new thing I tried on the weekend. It could be a dish, or a night’s dinner I threw together with leftover ingredients, or just a recipe I’m researching. (I’m a student, and life is extremely busy right now). So watch for updates :)

Categories
agriculture

Terry Talks 2008 – Tiffany Tong

The video of my Terry Talk from November 22, 2008 came out. Here it is! I would love to know what you think.

Redefining boundaries: Urban Agriculture: Tiffany Tong from terrytalks on Vimeo.

(sorry, I can figure out how to imbed the video onto the page…)

Remember to check out all the other Terry Talk videos too!!

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Uncategorized

Food is Fundamental

The Student Environment Centre (SEC) and Friends of the UBC Farm (FotF) are thrilled to be hosting a conference from September 23rd to 27th entitled “Food is Fundamental“. The conference is being held to educate, discuss and take action on pressing food issues that concern people, the environment, and the economy both locally and globally. We also aim to bring attention to the development plans at the UBC Farm: what are we gaining and what are we losing? What value does agriculture, both urban and conventional, provide? Development may be important to some, but food is crucial to all.

We will be addressing publicized and popular food topics as well as alternative agrarian values and perspectives. Our speakers will be presenting on topics such as First Nations and food sovereignty, dubious foods, the current global food crises, food security and social justice, the politics of genetic engineering, and many more areas of interest. But, we understand it is one thing to talk about ecological, social, and economic responsibility and consciousness; it is quite another to actually live it. This is exactly why the final and largest day of the conference, Saturday (September 27th) will contain many workshops on subjects like: how to eat sustainably, reducing and using food waste, growing your own food, brewing your own beer, how to shop responsibly, and more.

In a nutshell, we will talk about FOOD! We want to create a dialogue that connects soil and land to our plates; we want to address the need to eat and live healthily and happily but with significantly less impact on the planet, people, and our companion species. We wish to raise awareness and answer questions such as why is the global food crisis happening? Why is our food system the way it is? What will happen if we continue on our trajectory? How do our choices for urban development affect food security? And of course, the most important question, what can, and should, we do?

This conference will be a week filled with interesting learning, engaging discussions, entertainment, eating and fun for everyone. Please, come join us at the conference because, indeed, “Food is Fundamental”!

Dates: September 23rd-27th, 2008

Location: SUB, UBC Farm, MacMillan and other buildings

For schedule details and registration: www.foodisfundamental.com

To volunteer during or before the conference email: enviro@ams.ubc.ca or come to our weekly meetings: Tuesdays @ 12:30pm, SUB 245

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